Petersons: Speaking
up led to slashed tires

"I think it was because I was here," Mr. Peterson told the council Monday night.

Mr. Peterson, who with his wife has been a leading spokesman for preservation in town, said two rear tires had "very clean cuts" in the sidewalls of the tires.

He said he believes the tires were slashed the night of April 13 and has filed a police report. He told the council the professional who replaced his tires April 16 said there were three slashes in one tire and two in the other.

Mrs. Peterson said it wasn't the first incident of slashed tires and remarked, "It's time this type of behavior is stopped."

"This is not the South Bronx," she said. [See Mrs. Peterson's letter to the editor, Page S6.]

Mr. Peterson said he was at the council the night of April 11 to exercise his rights of free speech as a citizen and when he has appeared at meetings over the years he has always made comments that "I thought would be productive for the town."

"I'm unhappy our town has gotten to the level it has reached," Mr. Peterson said, remarking that some people are dragging the town down.

"We all have to make an effort to stop this sort of behavior," he said. "It's intimidation. I'm not going to be intimidated."

Mr. Peterson asked the council to join him in condemning this type of activity.

"I'm here because I want the town to get back to where it once was," he said. "I hope this body will stand up for what is right."

Mr. Peterson spoke at the April 11 meeting in defense of Councilman Larry Greenspan, saying he did not believe Mr. Greenspan was anti-Semitic.